Electric Pig Shocks with Pay Wall News
September 11, 2010
I saw a newsflash from Electricpig.co.uk which asserts that it is the only tech you need. Well, include the goose and I am happy. The story that caught my attention had this headline: “The Times Paywall Is Broken: content Set Free, for Now.” The point is that you can read the Murdoch Times here at this moment (September 10, 2010 at noon eastern). What’s interesting in that right before I saw the Electric Pig’s snort I read “USA Today to Throw Open Its Data This Month.” The main point in this write up is, in my opinion:
Media Content providers are increasingly opening up their vast amounts of data to developers. The latest to announce this is USA Today, with plans to provide much of its content via an API later this month. The nationwide newspaper aims to raise internal awareness about its databases first, with public access and a developer contest to follow. At the moment, the developer site is open to internal developers only. However, USA Today plans to launch it to the public by end of September.
Several observations before these flit from the goose’s mind:
- The challenge will be a business model that allows the giant publishing outfits to maintain their life style. The goose has witnessed publishing companies realize that their McMansions can no longer be supported by the online revenue streams “content” generates. There is money flowing but it pays for a Hardin County trailer rental.
- The assumption is that an application will unlock revenue. My work suggests that applications are a bit like motion pictures. The pictures are expensive and it is tough to pull off a blockbuster. Blockbusters happen, but will publishers have the cash to keep investing until a winner emerges.
- With the downsizing in publishing operations with which I am familiar, the younger staffers have little choice but practice their craft in the new digital Gutenberg environment. As a result, the big publishers will be competing with folks who understand their strengths and weaknesses with an insider’s sensitivity. I think this puts the big outfits at a disadvantage. Think of the plight of Nokia. That’s a model that some publishers will follow.
The goose has no answers. What do you expect from a goose anyway?
Stephen E Arnold, September 11, 2010
Freebie
The Speed Thing: Google Search Results Tricks
September 10, 2010
I don’t have too much to say about speed. In my talks about real-time information, I make a point of identifying points in an information retrieval system where latency imposes delays. The Google speed thing addresses one aspect of search; namely, displaying results as someone types. I noted this display stuff in year 2000 when I got a demo of Fast Search & Technology’s implementation of a type ahead feature. Then and now, I did not get too excited. The reason is that I formulate queries and enter them with intent. I personally dislike systems that try to “think like a goose.” Pretty tough since algorithms work one way and a goose brain works a different way, right?
I do want to call attention to what I think is one of those wild and crazy write ups that appear in “real” publications. Point your browser thingy at “In an Instant, Google Pulls Further Ahead of Microsoft, Yahoo.” Now if the predictive stuff actually worked, you would not have to point or click in my opinion. Keep in mind that the predictive stuff is reasonably new and we were not able to see the function across the different systems we tested yesterday, so here in Harrod’s Creek, the Google magic was hit and miss. The article is a collection of observations by pundits and most of the points are like high school cheers. You hear the words but don’t really care. It is the spirit that counts.
My views are this:
- It is a bit early to declare that a Google feature does much of anything to Web usage data. The data are approximations of what’s happening and quite old. This means that the “effect” of Google’s whiz bang new feature won’t be known in its fuzzy statistical glory for weeks.
- The focus of search is shifting, based on our work in the last few months. Not only is the mobile device having an impact, but the social approach is beginning to gain traction. If our work is on the money, this spells big trouble in River City for traditional search box methods.
- Embedded search puts information “there”. A good example is a map which shows a bunch of stuff. The user just hovers. The “map” gets search parameters in the background so the “search without search” approach that I noted when I examined Endeca’s implementation for Fidelity Investments in the UK six or seven years ago is now being consumerized.
In short, I know folks love Google mouse pads and secretly hope to work for Messrs. Brin and Page. I also know that no one gets invited to Google events for raining on a Google parade. Nevertheless, let’s keep the latency issue in mind and then put the Google announcement in the context of significant search trends. “Real” journalists, I suppose, long for the days when they could sit in English class and interpret Milton’s “Lycidas.” Won’t work for the hard world of information retrieval in this goose’s opinion. Confusing razzle dazzle for what users are doing keeps the azurini busy. Wonderful.
Stephen E Arnold, September 10, 2010
Freebie
Twitter for Free Expression
September 10, 2010
Technology and Twitter have tweaked the fourth pillar of democracy. “The power of the Internet and social networks like Twitter is starting to force the media to be honest,” says Stan Beer in the ITWire Australian Election special article “Twitter becomes the new oracle of the media.” The author uses the case of the Fairfax freelancer Adam Turner’s tweets on election night, and summarizes that Facebook or Twitter posts have become sensitive, consequential, and accountable.
The article expresses the view that, “So-called fair and balanced media is populated with content produced by humans – and nearly all humans are biased and anything but fair and balanced.” The author implicates the publications to have pseudo-standards; portraying as fair and balanced but having biased policies. He points out that the media bosses “may publicly express their political preference in pre-editorials but for journalists to openly reveal their bias is not on.” They then revert to the tweets, which take more of a confessionary role – a medium for repressed or free expression?
Leena Singh, September 10, 2010
Freebie
Google and Speedy Search
September 10, 2010
I learned about Google’s push for speed in late 2009. I wrote a story for this blog called “Google 2010: Speed Becomes a Competitive Advantage.” Despite the enthusiasm of my two or three readers, no one cared. I know I didn’t. The Google of 2006 is long gone. In its place is a very different outfit.
I flipped through the write ups about the big Google event and its announcements today. I noted one as more in line with my thinking. Point your browser thingy at “Why Google Instant Is Good for Microsoft.” For me, the main point was:
In today’s press conference, Google boasted that only a “small percentage” of users in their tests turned off Instant search, and that they mainly did so because of connection issues. That seems an all-too rosy portrait of adoption rates. Clearly, there is a learning curve for such a novel service–after all, we’ve been clicking the “Search” button for more than a decade now. Doesn’t it seem unlikely that users would latch onto Google Instant so, well, instantly? Maybe in Google’s test-cases.
I know the search engine optimization boffins will be put in a tough spot. All the crap those folks have loaded into Web sites will hopefully disappear from personalized, on the fly search results. But the bigger point to me is that Google is making a change and assessing adaptability in terms of the Math Club ethos.
The Fast Company article nailed this point. Some folks don’t like math short cuts. I do like physics a lot. I also like relativity and what it suggests about speed.
Stephen E Arnold, September 10, 2010
Freebie.
Search Vendors: Spot Changing Underway
September 9, 2010
Search vendors are trying to morph into customer support systems. Will it Work?
Today it is common that when people have problem with a certain product or service, they do not approach the right people instead voice it out to their friends through social media. Similarly, if they are satisfied they do the same. This observation is from Jamie Beckett’s post “Social Media Spurs Big Changes in Customer Service”.
Comcast’s Martin Marcinczyk and Cisco’s John Hernandez both agree on the use of social media in responding to customers complaints. Both companies are looking for ways to better use the social media in getting feedback from customers and on how they can link up the social media in responding to customers’ concerns. “I want to be able to look at my overall business and know how to serve each customer”, says Marcinczyk at live broadcast.
Martin Brooke, September 9, 2010
Freebie
Google and Its Content Hoover
September 7, 2010
Nothing works better than money when one wants to grease the content skids. Financial details are tough to get and then difficult to verify. In today’s content Jacuzzi, one pays to play. Two examples:
“YouTube Seals Its Biggest Premium Sports Deal Yet”. Google has found a way to make major league baseball find love and affection for distribution of baseball games in a handful of countries. If this generates clicks, I think the Google will extend the deal. Why would the major league play ball? My hunch: money.
“Google, AP Strike New Deal On Web Licensing Rights”. Google and the Associated Press seem to have found common ground. My hunch is that money makes the dominance of Google palatable.
So what?
First, these deals may be precursors of more high value content tie ups. A big pile of content means that lots of users will visit Google. Good for Google, reasonably good for its partners, and possibly lousy news for other distributors.
Second, once Google users get out of high school, those viewing habits may be tough to change. Google has time on its side and content creators with some old school love do not have time.
Third, other vendors who want to compete with Google will either have to pony up or watch the Google start thinking exclusive. Yikes.
Stephen E Arnold, September 7, 2010
Freebie.
Another Thrust at Lexis and Westlaw
September 7, 2010
A thrust is not a akinakes in the liver, but “Bootstrapping Band of Brothers Raise $30M for People Search Engine Inflection” is more than shaking a finger at Lexis and Westlaw. The article describes two brothers who want to provide legal eagles with for fee services. Among those planned are for fee searching of public records. Others range from feet on the street who dash around delivering documents necessary for legal matters to for fee searching. The Lexis and Westlaw duo face a number of challenges. The legal profession is faced with clients who won’t spend at pre-crash levels. Junior attorneys are losing their jobs or getting partial pay and vacation days. Recent graduates are filing claims against the law schools that recruited them and painted a glorious picture of the job market for graduates. What this means is that Lexis and Westlaw have to find a way to generate growth and deal with upstarts with $30 million. Google’s approach had promise but like many Math Club ideas, execution has been less scintillating than the ideation process. Government entities continue to crank out content with more and more becoming available online. Will Inflection become the next big thing? The idea seems interesting, but I think it is likely that Lexis or Westlaw will just buy the outfit. That approach may be easier than revamping the dinosaur-like business models that worked when lawyers were flying high. Now eagles have landed, just in a run down area outside of Piscataway. In the parking lot are the Inflection folks, and they are armed and dangerous.
Stephen E Arnold, September 7, 2010
Freebie
Jetwick Twitter Search
September 6, 2010
Peter Karich on DZone “Twitter Search Jetwick – Powered by Wicket and Solr,” where he narrates his experiences with creation of ‘Jetwick’ provides some insight into the steps required to create a Twitter search. He noted, “From a quick-start project to production many if not all things can change.”
The article recounts the task to create a similar-user finding service ‘Jetwick’ on Twitter based on their tweeted content, whose prototype was created only within a week. It needed some extra tweaking and switching to Solr for facets, which was done in a couple of hours. However, user trials highlighted need of changes in the layout that was achieved by switching to another web UI, taking a couple of days. Then, the rectification process of a problem with Db4 took about a week, finally needing to switch to Hibernate that took another couple of weeks. However, as Twitter released a similar service, the base concept of Jetwick had to be changed from user-search to a regular tweet search. The final production changed considerably. We found this a useful case example.
Leena Singh, September 6, 2010
Context Search: The New Hot Thing?
September 6, 2010
Traditionally there is a search box, which accepts the submission of a query, and subsequently presents a set of results to a user. Now the search box is not enough. The recent eyefortravel.com news article “Understanding How Search Is Moving beyond the Traditional Search Box” reveals how comScore intends to use “Explicit Core Search,” helping users “to completely change or refine their search directly from the result page.”
The concept relates to “the context of the browsing experience as the user engages with non-search content.” Therefore, the search engines are now designed to weave into the user experience, and provide “contextual searches.” This search is used as a powerful contextual content discovery technology, enabling search engines to provide intuitive and convenient content discovery experiences. As per the news, “by providing search results on context across their network, those sites are able to leverage the size of their audience to expose more users to their search services,” thus experiencing the future of search.
Sounds like beyond search to us.
Leena Singh, September 6, 2010
Arnold For-Fee Columns for September 2010
September 5, 2010
Here’s the line up of for-fee columns I did for September 2010. The information in these writings does not appear in this blog. You can navigate to the source publications online or to the hard copies of the publication for the stories. In the case of Enterprise Technology Management, you may have to register to gain access to the write ups. Keep in mind that the for-fee work is more serious and fact-rich than the content in my Beyond Search Web log. Due to the agreements I sign for these for-fee writings.
Here’s the run down for my for fee August 2010 columns. These will appear over the next four to 12 weeks. Each for-fee publication has a different editorial cycle.
- Information Today, “Voice Search: Beam Me Up, Scotty” The focus is on the hope focused on voice search as the next big thing.
- Information World Review (Bizmedia), Summer Time Blues is a look at the changes I noted among selected search vendors between May 1, 2010 and August 31, 2010. The IWR was to be online only in 2010 but this story will appear in a special print edition of the publication in a couple of months.
- KMWorld, “Google in the Enterprise: Are Caution Lights Flashing?” The topic is the impact of Google’s legal troubles.
- Smart Business Network, “Facebook Advertising: The Friend Approach” The article explains the benefits of using the Facebook platform to reach prospects. The story will appear in SBN’s dozen print publications.
I also wrote a story about open source search. It will appear in a consulting firm’s client publication.
The full text of these articles is available directly from the publisher. Every five or six years, I gather up out-of-date columns and put them on ArnoldIT.com. Best bet to get these write ups, then, is to contact the publisher who buys certain rights from me.
What’s interesting to me is that I find in my newsreader azurini writings that use the content of some of my for-fee writings but overlook a credit line or footnote. My 7th-grade teacher would not have been happy. The 66 year old goose does not care. He creates this content; imitation and all that.
Stephen E Arnold, September 5, 2010
Freebie but I get paid to write these for fee thingies.
aklaver@enterpriseimi.com
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
